MP: couple paraded semi-naked in three villages

In a horrifying incident, a tribal man and a woman were brutally thrashed, their face blackened and paraded semi-naked in three villages in the Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh, allegedly on the panchayat’s order.

The Dhar Police have arrested 20 people, including Bhil tribe chief of Khokaria village, 50 km south of Dhar district. The incident occurred under Dhamnod police station jurisdiction.

According to the information, 32-year-old Bhavsingh had eloped with the 35-year-old woman, a mother of five, on October 5. The villagers did not approve of their relationship and caught hold of the couple on October 8. They were produced before the tribal panchayat which imposed a fine of Rs 20,000 on Bhavsingh, payable to the woman’s family.

When Bhavsingh failed to obey the panchayat’s orders, villagers tied the couple to a pole in the middle of garba pandal and beat them up. After that, they were paraded through three villages in a semi-naked state, allegedly on the panchayat’s orders.

Dhar superintendent of police Bhagwant Singh Chouhan said 20 people have been arrested in the incident and the couple has been sent to Dhamnod community health centre for a check-up.